Clowney and Quarles expected to declare for NFL

Jadeveon Clowney is the top rated player for the 2014 NFL draft. He’s also a junior at South Carolina. It’s not a foregone conclusion he’ll enter the NFL draft, but he’ll be one step closer to professional ranks Saturday.

“[South Carolina head coach Steve] Spurrier said he expects juniors Jadeveon Clowney and Kelcy Quarles to ‘go out with the seniors’ and be recognized before USC’s final home game Saturday.”

Any time a highly decorated junior prospect is honored during senior day, he has already made his decision to leave the university to play in the NFL.

There were plenty of questions whether Clowney should play this season or not. There have been more questions whether he has been playing his hardest with one eye always toward the NFL. Either way, Clowney’s talent can’t be denied. And he’s still had his fair share of highlights this season.

Clowney is clearly the headliner in this scenario, but Quarles is also a talented prospect. Quarles is a 6-4, 298-pound defensive tackle, and he has been more productive this season than Clowney. Quarles leads the team with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He’s likely to be an early round draft selection.